Safety helmet with lift-able touch-less visor for social distancing

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a safety helmet with two rounded safety visors. The back visor is fixed, the front visor—movable up and down. This new safety helmet with lift-able front visor and fixed back visor enables people to socialize, while reducing risk of getting infected by Covid-19 virus or other airborne viruses. The lifting of the front visor could be achieved with a help of a handle or other means.

This application claims benefit of Provisional Application No. 63/029,011 filed on 2020 May 22

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This safety helmet is designed to prevent horizontal airflow at level of mouth and nose at a closed front visor position, reducing chance of getting infected by Covid-19 virus, because Covid-19 virus cells are heavy and are less likely to move up. This safety helmet also enables people to eat and drink, while opening front visor. The handle or other means, described below, enables lifting of the front visor without having to touch the inside of the front visor with hands, which is helpful, because hands are the risky area of the virus presence. There is constant airflow available from the bottom, enabling users exercise or do other physical activities, which are difficult to perform with a face mask due to lack of airflow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure A is the view from the front of the helmet.

Figure B is the view from right side of the helmet with the closed front visor. Left side view is exact mirror image of the right side view, except handle is optional to be on either side or both sides.

Figure C is the view from right side of the helmet with the opened front visor. Left side view is exact mirror image of the right side view, except handle is optional to be on either side or both sides.

Legend of the drawings' numbers (same number represents same item on each of the three drawings):

-   #1—Helmet -   #2—Front visor -   #3—Hinge, where the front visor's holder is connected to the helmet     with rubber washers -   #4—Weatherstripping for connection of front visor with back visor at     the closed front visor position -   #5—Handle -   #6—Holder of visor -   #7—Screw with rubber washers on both sides of visor, holding the     handle to the visor -   #8—Back visor -   #9—Head of a person, using the safety helmet -   #10—Clear visor edge, metal bracket, or weatherstripping

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Visors (#2 and #8) are optionally made from clear or not clear polycarbonate or other materials. Visors (#2 and #8) are supported by visors' holders (#6). One safety visor (#2) is in the front of the helmet (#1), other (#8)—in the back of the helmet (#1). Back visor (#8) is fixed. Front visor (#2) is movable up and down with the help of hinges (#3) on top on the left side and the right side. Hinges (#3) are located, where the visor's holders (#6) are connected to the helmet (#1). There are rubber washers at the hinges (#3) for securing open-able front visor (#2) at the level it is opened at a time. When front visor (#2) is closed, then it meets with the back visor (#8). Where the two visors meet, there is vertical weatherstripping (#4) on each of the back visor (#8) and front visor (#2). In the bottom of both visors (#10) there is either clear visor edge, metal bracket, or weatherstripping. There is a handle (#5), attached to the front visor (#2), on the exterior of the front visor (#2). It is optional to have the handle (#5) on the right side, left side, or both sides. There is a head of person, using the helmet drawn in each of the three drawings (#9).

Optional is remote control, where battery or batteries operate opening mechanism or mechanisms, with which the front visor would open and close. In this option opening mechanism or mechanisms with battery or batteries are located next to the hinges (#3) on each side of the helmet (#1).

Optional is push-open button on the side of the helmet (#1), releasing front visor (#2).

Optional is spring, pushing up the front visor (#2) after releasing of the front visor (#2). Optional is fixation of closed position of the front visor (#2) by fixation hardware. Optional are ventilation holes in the helmet (#1).

Optional is a feature of front visor (#2) opening automatically, when an object approaches the front visor (#2) with the help of installed on the front visor (#2) or on the helmet (#1) video camera, optical sensors, proximity sensors, or the like. Proximal or approaching object examples are items of food or drink in the hand of visor wearer, etc. Specific objects could be recognized using visual object classification methods and would trigger the opening of the visor. Optional is a button or remote control, temporarily or permanently disconnecting this feature.

Optional is automatic opening and closing of the front visor (#2), when certain proximate object approaches the front visor by certain speed. An approaching or proximate object can be detected by installed on the helmet (#1) or the front visor (#2) video camera, optical sensors, proximity sensors, or the like.

Optional is automatic opening and closing of the front visor (#2), triggered by proximity sensing or optical means, which detects presence of another person within predetermined distance of the helmet wearer.

Optional is automatically opening and closing the front visor (#2), depending on certain environmental circumstances, such as walking or running speed, raining, wind speed, etc.

Optional is automatic opening and closing the front visor (#2), by circuitry performing audio recognition. Opening and closing could be triggered by recognizing specific sounds, such as someone coughing or sneezing within the proximity of the wearer of the safety helmet.

Optional is opening and closing the front visor (#2) by voice recognition. Helmet (#1) may have circuitry technology to recognize specific commands, such as “open”, “close”, etc.

Optional is displaying a movie, cell phone screen, etc. on the front visor (#2).

Optional is turning on and off flashlight, installed on the front visor (#2) or on the helmet (#1) by voice recognition and/or button on the front visor (#2) or on the helmet (#1).

The above invention is any combination of any features (including optional features), listed above, and may not necessarily include all of the features that are described above. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A helmet, comprising: a liftable visor; a means to lift or lower the visor without touching the inner surface of the visor.
 2. A helmet as in claim 1, wherein the means to lift or lower the visor is a handle.
 3. A helmet as in claim 2, wherein the handle is attached to the visor.
 4. A helmet as in claim 2, wherein the handle and the visor are molded or manufactured as a single object.
 5. A helmet as in claim 2, wherein the visor is attached to the helmet and rotates around a geometric axis.
 6. A helmet as in claim 5, wherein the handle is positioned at a predetermined minimal distance from the axis.
 7. A helmet as in claim 6, wherein the predetermined minimal distance is any one of 1 cm or greater; 2 cm or greater; 3 cm or greater; 4 cm or greater; 5 cm or greater; 6 cm or greater; 7 cm or greater; 8 cm or greater; 9 cm or greater; 10 cm or greater 11 cm or greater; 12 cm or greater; 13 cm or greater; 14 cm or greater; or 15 cm or greater.
 8. A helmet as in claim 2, wherein the handle has a predetermined width, wherein the width is measured from the surface of the visor to the outermost edge of the handle.
 9. A helmet as in claim 8, wherein the predetermined width is any one of 3 mm or greater; 6 mm or greater; 9 mm or greater; 12 mm or greater; 15 mm or greater; 20 mm or greater; 25 mm or greater; 30 mm or greater; 35 mm or greater; 40 mm or greater; 45 mm or greater; or 50 mm or greater;
 10. The helmet as in claim 1, wherein the means to lift or lower the visor includes a motor or other automated mechanism.
 11. The helmet as in claim 2, wherein the means to lift or lower the visor includes a second handle.
 12. The helmet as in claim 2, wherein the handle appears on a side, top, or bottom edge of the visor.
 13. The helmet as in claim 2, wherein the handle is connected in two or more places to the visor, and wherein the handle includes an opening between connections, so that fingers or a hand could be inserted between the connections' locations.
 14. The helmet as in claim 1, which further includes a locking mechanism that locks the visor in place wherein: the locking mechanism is locked when the visor is fully closed or fully opened; the locking mechanism is released when the handle is engaged to open or close the visor.
 15. The helmet as in claim 10, further comprising a remote control that operates the motor or automated mechanism.
 16. The helmet as in claim 10, further comprising a button or buttons installed on the helmet, that operate the motor or automated mechanism.
 17. The helmet as in claim 14, further comprising a button installed on the helmet, releasing the locking mechanism
 18. The helmet as in claim 10, wherein the automated mechanism opens the visor automatically, when an object approaches the visor within a predetermined range of distances or a predetermined range of speeds.
 19. The helmet as in claim 18, wherein the object is recognized by a video camera or other optical sensing means.
 20. The helmet as in claim 18, wherein the predetermined distance or predetermined speed are recognized utilizing a video camera, optical sensors, or proximity sensors.
 21. The helmet as in claim 18, wherein the object is recognized utilizing a visual object classification method, and upon recognizing the object or a category of the object, the classification would trigger opening or closing of the visor; upon recognizing a second object or second object category, the classification would not trigger opening or closing of the visor.
 22. The helmet as in claim 21, further comprising a means for temporarily or permanently disabling the mechanism for automatic opening of the visor.
 23. The helmet as in claim 21, wherein the classification would trigger opening or closing the visor, when the object approaches the visor within the predetermined range of distances or the predetermined range of speeds.
 24. The helmet as in claim 21, wherein the visual object classification method utilizes a video camera, an optical sensor, or a proximity sensor.
 25. The helmet as in claim 21, wherein the recognized object is a person, detected within a predetermined distance of the helmet wearer.
 26. The helmet as in claim 21, wherein the triggering of the opening or closing the visor is further affected by environmental circumstances, including walking or running speed of the wearer, weather factors, presence or absence of rain, or wind speed.
 27. The helmet as in claim 21, wherein the triggering of the opening or closing the visor utilizes audio recognition, recognizing or classifying predetermined sounds made by the wearer, words spoken by the wearer, or sounds occurring in the surroundings of the wearer. 